Structural body components of high volume mass production passenger vehicles are mostly comprised of sheet metal stampings. Other less common components include steel tubes, aluminum extrusions, steel castings, aluminum castings, magnesium castings, and reinforced plastic. Steel tubes are widely used inside doors to control intrusion as a result of impact loads from the side of a vehicle. The length of the tube used in the door typically is roughly perpendicular to the direction of the loading.
Light trucks and passenger cars must meet specific crash requirements set by NHTSA, IIHS, and additionally according to internal vehicle manufacturer standards. Side crash performance is a mode that is evaluated. During a side crash event, load is transferred from the impact location into the body structure. In a light truck, the impact location can be low as compared to a passenger car due to the increased right height for the light truck vehicle. The occupant position (i.e., relative to height of the vehicle) is determined typically by a packaging model, which sets the passenger hip location in the vehicle relative to major vehicle components.
With respect to side crash structure, the longitudinal load bearing structure (e.g., the doors, the side sills, the side panels, etc.) is the first to receive impact load. The heights of these structures are determined by many factors. The cross-car structure is then loaded by the longitudinal structure. The cross-car structure must engage the longitudinal structure while also considering the position of the occupant. A goal of the cross-car structure is to minimize intrusion into the occupant space.